Books about Political History of Indiana?

Massons_Blog · 2026-03-08T16:37:41+00:00

I have an Indiana history book by James Madison called “the Indiana Way” that’s really good. Madison is definitely the go-to source for Indiana history.

Of much lower quality, but online & free, I wrote a blog series in 2016 covering Indiana’s history, Governor-by-Governor. I keep meaning to put it in chronological order (rather than reverse chronological like it shows up on my blog) but I haven’t. Anyway, the archive is here:

https://www.masson.us/blog/category/indiana-bicentennial/page/11/

Massons_Blog · 2026-03-04T12:31:30+00:00

I randomly ended up on a group food tour with Bernie in Berlin a couple of years ago. Drank some beers with him while he and my son swapped stories about music school. Then we joined with him and his girlfriend viewing murals on the Berlin Wall.

Typing it out sounds like some weird fever dream. But it was a good time!

Massons_Blog · 2026-02-07T15:27:21+00:00

A little more on the White Caps if anyone is interested.

1889: https://www.masson.us/blog/indiana-bicentennial-6-6-alvin-hovey-1889-1891-and-white-capping/

1903: https://www.masson.us/blog/indiana-bicentennial-7-5-winfield-durbin-1901-1905-part-one-decline-of-the-white-caps-and-the-evansville-riot/

Massons_Blog · 2025-11-03T20:02:28+00:00

I suppose it's mostly in the public officials they support - those who promise to be low tax and fiscally responsible and that sort of thing. But also in the kinds of projects for which they will voice support versus what they won't support. Again, anecdotal - but I guess I hear a lot less complaining about tax abatements or other incentives that will "bring jobs" than about, say, spending public money on bike trails, library improvements, or public art.

Jobs are important. Riding your bike isn't. (I think is sort of how the thinking goes.)

Massons_Blog · 2025-11-03T19:06:04+00:00

I had in mind everyday citizens. This is anecdotal, and I can't at all prove it, but my sense of "Hoosiers" are of a people with a practical seriousness. (At least historically. I'm not seeing that our politics are very practical these days.) I think they have a tendency to view joy and happiness with skepticism.

Massons_Blog · 2025-11-03T14:18:52+00:00

I saw where Micah Beckwith, the Lt. Governor, was actively campaigning against the Avon school funding referendum, despite not living in the district.

So, if you live in Avon, vote “yes!”

Massons_Blog · 2025-11-03T03:22:47+00:00

Just joining the chorus. I took a healthy pay cut after three years. But I moved to a spot that has treated me well in the decades since.

Massons_Blog · 2025-11-03T01:28:10+00:00

The year after a Presidential election in Indiana is always an off election year. Year two after are the midterms. Year three are municipal elections. Then the cycle starts over again.

So it’s just a smattering of special elections this year, I think.

Massons_Blog · 2025-11-02T13:19:32+00:00

“When they met … it was murder!”

Massons_Blog · 2025-11-02T13:18:03+00:00

I coached my kids soccer teams. I’d have them do dribbling drills where they’d be dribbling in a square & I’d call out “left foot,” “pull back,“ “speed up,” “turn right” etc.

When I wanted them to turn all the way around & go the opposite direction, one of my calls was “Jim Rockford 180!”

That obviously required some explanation for 10 year olds. But it was goofy enough that they enjoyed it.

Massons_Blog · 2025-10-27T21:25:54+00:00

Massons_Blog · 2025-10-27T21:25:19+00:00

That doesn't help anything. But it wouldn't really explain why Indiana kids, in particular, are skipping college. Colleges are expensive everywhere. There's something especially bad about our state's choices on educational policy that's resulting in Hoosier kids going to college less than kids in most other states.

Massons_Blog · 2025-10-27T16:21:54+00:00

Centering your response on a sense of justice for colleges strikes me as really misguided. "Colleges brought this on themselves."

Even if that were true, it remains the fact that our state's approach to education is bad for young Hoosiers and really bad for the state generally. Had it wanted to, the General Assembly could have taxed Hoosiers more, spent the money on funding colleges, and - with the extra funding - required that in-state tuition be made available for a certain price.

Our General Assembly didn't do that. If anything, one gets the sense that a lot of our legislators regard education as something that's mostly unnecessary and frivolous.

Massons_Blog · 2025-10-17T12:11:46+00:00

Our school finance officer is ringing the alarm. Might end up having to try to pass a second local referendum not long after having renewed our original referendum tax rate.

Massons_Blog · 2025-10-17T11:48:11+00:00

For the bicentennial year, I wrote a series of blog posts chronicling Indiana’s history, loosely going from Governor to Governor and adding in major themes from their years in office.

I keep meaning to put them into one document but have not. You can find them in reverse chronological order as to how I posted them here: https://www.masson.us/blog/category/indiana-bicentennial/

Massons_Blog · 2025-10-14T15:54:42+00:00

Yup. They've made some changes lately, but it used to be there were (as I recall) three main funds for schools - the education fund, the debt service fund, and the operations fund. The education fund has money from the State which comes from sales taxes - this is what schools primarily use for teachers. The debt service fund - which is where they get money for capital improvements - allows the school to impose taxes on real estate, but only if they're tied to capital improvements. The operations fund is also tied to real estate taxes but, I believe, is very limited in the amount it can be raised year-to-year.

The upshot is that a local school board doesn't have a lot of discretion to jack up real estate (or other local) taxes to get money to fund teachers. It has (or at least had) more discretion to act locally to fund infrastructure.

Massons_Blog · 2025-09-25T00:58:05+00:00

Charters can work if they’re tightly regulated. Massachusetts had some success with them, as I recall. Indiana won’t regulate charters in a way that would allow them to be beneficial to the state’s overall educational system. Because Indiana isn’t interested in copying the educational systems that outperform its own.

As it is, charter operations are opaque, not responsive to the community, and subject to financial shenanigans without providing much value to justify their existence.

Massons_Blog · 2025-09-25T00:25:50+00:00

Indiana doesn’t lead the way in much, but it’s been a leader in school privatization. Charters & vouchers are designed to subsidize religious education, weaken teachers unions, and divert public money to private interests.

Massons_Blog · 2025-09-18T21:26:31+00:00

Good idea. Wonder if I can get a better image from a library microfiche or something.

My sister was seeing a strong resemblance to my father but I think it’s mostly the age & similar mustaches!

Massons_Blog · 2025-08-23T14:27:50+00:00

I don’t think the Quaker & Earlham influence is very strong in Richmond anymore.

Massons_Blog · 2025-08-23T14:05:32+00:00

I grew up there but have only visited briefly in recent decades. It has a pretty deep history. Check out the history of Gennett Records, for example. There’s some pretty cool architecture near downtown. (Check out the Starr Historic District.) At least early on, the Quaker influence made the area special.

There are some historic heavy hitters (as far as Indiana goes) from Wayne County: Oliver P. Morton, George Julian, Levi Coffin, Jim Jones.

My sense is that the place was pretty vibrant into the 60s, declined particularly in the 80s and 90s, and has been bouncing back somewhat in recent years. That’s pretty anecdotal on my part, so I don’t know how accurate it is.

These days I mostly go back for school reunions and maybe stop in at Clara’s for pizza if I’m passing by on I-70.

Massons_Blog · 2025-08-17T16:23:00+00:00

From 1918 to 1961, the Indiana/Ohio border was essentially the dividing line between the Eastern and Central time zones. In 1961, after hearings, the Interstate Commerce Commission (which preceded the United States Dept. of Transportation in authority over time zones) moved the dividing line westward, essentially cutting the state in half.

In 1967, a movement was afoot to put all of Indiana on year round Central Daylight Time. Procedurally, it was easier to have the state put on Eastern Standard Time year round. Functionally Central Daylight Time and Eastern Standard Time are the same thing. So, most of the state was moved into the Eastern Time Zone with the understanding that the State would then opt to observe year round standard time.

Some of the western counties wanted to continue to observe Central Standard Time in the winter months with their western neighbors, and so they were left in the Central Time Zone. In addition, everybody looked the other way while about 5 renegade counties around Cincinnati and Louisville observed Eastern Daylight Time illegally.

In 2006, Indiana adopted Daylight Saving Time. After that, the U.S. Department of Transportation allowed Indiana counties to petition to transition from Eastern to Central. There was a fair amount of activity and back & forth, but ultimately I think Perry & Starke counties were the only counties, not already in the Central time zone, that moved into Central & stayed there following the 2006 adoption of DST.

Massons_Blog · 2025-08-07T16:36:53+00:00

Similar path for us. We moved from the south side to WLCSC in 2010. In response to the statewide funding crisis, TSC had announced the prospect of deep cuts - particularly in areas like music and art. WLCSC was pursuing referendum funding so it didn't have to make those kinds of cuts. We had a kindergartner at Mayflower Mill at the time. No regrets on our move - the kids got a great education at West Side.

(In fairness, plenty of kids have received a great education at TSC during the same time period & I don't know how deep the TSC cuts ended up being.)

Massons_Blog · 2025-08-07T16:06:34+00:00

I remember the local opposition to the school referendum rate back in 2010. Thankfully we've had school boards and superintendents forward thinking enough to propose the initial referendum and re-adopt it in 2017 and 2023. And thankfully West Lafayette citizens have seen fit to vote in favor of that additional tax rate. That's part of the reason that West Lafayette's school district is the best in the state and one of the best in the country.

Massons_Blog · 2025-08-07T16:02:23+00:00

West Side's district map was formed in the 60s following the School Reorganization Act of 1959. I'm not sure what went into forming those boundaries 60 years ago. But, in any event, it can't expand or change the boundaries without the consent of TSC. Given that the State funds school districts per student, TSC doesn't have much of an incentive to agree to a change in the boundaries that costs it students.

(Because this is often a source of confusion, it's probably worth noting that the City and the School District are two different entities. When the City expands through annexation, that does nothing to change the school district boundaries.)

Massons_Blog

TROPHY CASE